Letters to the Editor

The transformation of the Philadelphia fan is in full swing. Two illustrations: Second game of 2008 playoffs against the Brewers, Brett Myers works a walk against their ace, Sabathia. During the at bat, Myers fouls off three pitches and the fans are cheering the foul balls! (They’re foul balls, for Chrissake.) I thought I was in St. Louis or Cincinnati. So Myers walks, Rollins walks and Victorino hits a grand slam that catapults the Phils all the way to a World Series win. Next, Eagles fans have gotten a bad rap over the years, but from my vantage as an usher at the Linc, they no longer deserve it. They are loyal fans who cheer their favorites and express their disapproval in the normal manner, but they are not the 700 level rowdies from the Vet.

And that might be the key to the new Phan. In the new parks, they are treated to a better product and the staff at the games treat them with more respect, more like a guest than a nuisance. I don’t know how long will it last, but let’s enjoy it while it does.

Charlie Jones, Fairmount

Philly fans need to get over themselves. This is a problem with people in the city as a whole; we complain for the sake of complaining, seeking pitty. We act as if we are the only home of bad sports. Ever been to Cleveland or Atlanta? Even New York has it's issues, outside of the Yankees and Giants, the picture is not that rosy up the Turnpike. Mets, Knicks, Islanders anyone?

The Phillies are the envy of the Major's: Three consecutive division titles, back-to-back National League pennants, and a World Series title. And they are favored to win at least the NL East again. Yet we aren't showing enough appreciation for this team.

DEEP via philadelphiaweekly.com

Paws and Reflect

Regarding last week’s article opposing bans on pit bulls:

Alright! After struggling to make a modicum of sense out of Jacob Lambert’s boneheaded assertion that the pit bull should arbitrarily undergo a form of racial profiling and be outlawed, it was heartening to read Kim Wolf’s counterpoint a week later—a piece driven by facts and reason, not opinions and ignorance. With any hope, local opinion makers and deciders came away as enlightened as your readers. We’ll see.

JOE BALTAKE, Haddonfield, N.J.

Great article! The parallel you’ve drawn here between breedism or canine racism and racism (sexism, etc.) needs to be digested. Breedism is illogical in that “all dogs of a certain breed are tarred with the same brush,” as Bernard E. Rollin writes. Similarly, racists see all members of a certain race as instantiating the same stereotypical, negative traits. But this fails to consider each dog, and each human, as an individual. This is social stupidity.

Jacob Lambert is wrong. I want to rephrase Lambert’s final paragraph, but I’ll shift the object of his irrational prejudice. “Why couldn’t my landlord just rent to someone who isn’t black? He is a perfectly nice man, my neighbor; indeed, I like him very much. He smiles when I see him, and even brings me left-over’s. But when I see him walking by my apartment, that primal fear of the-other-person-who-is-“different” just creeps into my mind.

ALEX MELONAS via philadelphiaweekly.com

This is exactly the reasoned, thoughtful response our Philadelphians need. Pit bulls (and all dogs!) everywhere—whether they are chained in a backyard or basement or lounging on their owner’s couch right now—need advocates like you who continue to remind people that a dog is a dog is a dog and that people should be held accountable for their failure to care for their animals.

Thank you for speaking out!

EMILY via philadelphiaweekly.com

Actual facts in journalism; wonderful! Thank you for writing a fact filled article that educates. This is about racism, based on myths that are perpetuated in the media and in society. Many genders, creeds, and cultures have suffered, and continue to suffer, because of this type of myth perpetuation. This victim can not speak. pit bulls, and all dogs, need our voice, love, and support.